Alex Weasley: Book 3

30

Alex was antsy. She found herself sitting in the great hall every morning after breakfast during mail time, despite her aversion to being anywhere near Professor Lupin. Six days after the Hogsmeade trip, a letter came. Two. One with a familiar red envelope that she'd seen her mother send to Ron last year. Gulping, she untied the letters from the owl that stopped in front of her after the food disappeared from the table. Ignoring the howler for the moment, she carefully unsealed the envelope and read through the contents of the letter. Once, twice, three times. Folding it neatly and putting it in her bag, she turned to the howler.
"Oh oh. What did you do?" Charlie asked.

"Apparently trust my parents loved me." She frowned.

"You know you've gotta open it. If you don't-" Susan grimaced.

"Yeah. I know." Alex opened the howler and let her head fall down, hoping it would alleviate her embarrassment.

"ALEX! YOUR FATHER AND I ARE SO PROUD OF YOU! FIRST IN THE FAMILY! WE ALWAYS KNEW YOU WERE CAPABLE AND-" Alex was too afraid to look up at her friends and simply waited until her mother finished her rant. She felt Hermione sympathetically pat her back.

"If you care about me, you'll kill me. Right now." She muttered.

"And miss out on watching your brothers pester you?" Alex lifted her head slightly to glare at Hermione.

"What was that about?" Megan broke the silence around them.

"Later." Alex said. "We have class to get to."

Alex managed to slip away in the midst of the crowd and headed to potions. She was glad for the class. Snape's no nonsense attitude meant less attention and questions directed towards her. But after class, he called for her to stay behind.
"I hear congratulations are in order."

"I heard you conspired with Cedric for the competition."

"Thought it would make a good surprise."

"Without warning me."

"Hence the use of the word surprise."

"It was conspiracy, and you know it. I have to go because I have to get to class. I'll be back at three?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Great." She said and left.

After leaving the potions lab, she met Hermione in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, so that they could use the time turner to get to their ancient runes class.

By the time the school day was finished, Alex and Hermione had repeated two periods on top of their four period day, giving them a total of six hours classtime. She was exhausted when she got back to the potions lab.
"Wand away." He instructed.

"Test?" She perked up.

"No."

"Please tell me we're doing bookwork or something."

"We need to talk about your patronus."

"I was afraid of that." She groaned. "Why don't we talk about how you conspired with my friends?"

"This class is for defense against the dark arts. It is my job to teach you to defend yourself against dementors."

"Technically it's Professor Lupin's job."

"Would you like to go to his classes?" Alex deflated.

"Fine. Let's talk." She shifted in her chair. "No matter what anyone says, the beast was evil. It is gone, and I am glad it's gone. Yes, my patronus being a wolf stirs up some bad feelings. It makes me feel like it's not fully gone. And if it's not fully gone, then who's to say it's never coming back. What if I end up with him again? What if Ashburn finds a way to bring the beast back? And you can't promise everything will be okay. We both know it won't. He has followers everywhere. Quirrell wasn't his only devoted follower. He wasn't even in the inner circle. He can still possess many more. Or even if he isn't physically here, he still managed to get some of his essence here. I don't know what it's going to be this year. Maybe this time it really will be me. We don't know, and you can't fix that."

"I can't change the past. If I could, I would. Believe me, I would." He walked over to her desk, pulling a chair to the opposite side of the table. "I wish you'd never had to suffer what you did, but from here on out, I will look out for you and I will protect you."

"Why?"

"We're family, aren't we?" He asked and she looked up.

"Does that mean a lot to you?" He let out a sigh.

"You mean a lot to me, child."

"I don't like it when you call me that. I'm almost fifteen."

"Enjoy being a child while you can. You've seen the horrors of life. Try to appreciate the beauty."

"What were you like at my age?"

"Bitter and going down the wrong path."

"What about your family? What about your mother?"

"She approved of my affiliations."

"But you were friends with pureblood elitist. Your mother married a muggle, didn't she?"

"I think that's why she approved. Years with my father filled her with anger and hatred."

"That doesn't sound very nice. Did you have anyone good in your life?"

"I drove him away." Snape answered.

"Your brother."

"Yes."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not sure I'd have ever talked to him again if it weren't for you. I'm glad I did." Alex smiled.

"Are you two getting along better then?"

"Yes."

"You won't tell him about me, will you?"

"Not unless you want me to. I understand your fear, but if ever you change your mind, I'll help you." She put her head in her hands, mumbling something. He tapped the backs of her palms with his wand. "Hands." She moved her hands.

"I don't like being scared of everything. Everyone else in my family's a Gryffindor, but I'm just too afraid to get a grip. I'm a coward."

"You most certainly are not a coward."

"I can't even talk to my parents properly anymore."

"You talk to me."

"I'd rather hide out than spend any time with anyone. Hermione said it- I need my spaces to hide."

"Do you know why?"

"It makes me feel safe."

"Exactly."

"Because I like having some place I can run away and hide in when things get bad."

"It's natural to seek comfort. Some find comfort with others, some find comfort in isolation. Bravery isn't an absence of fear. Everyone feels fear. And everyone retreats to a safe space when they're afraid."

"You don't. You make everyone scared of you."

"No one is ever truly fearless. Everyone feels fear." He repeated.

"Even you?"

"Yes. Even me."